


three.

by aph_aleks (orphan_account)



Series: 200 Words [5]
Category: The Beatles (Band)
Genre: (just like) starting over, M/M, Songfic, don't you (forget about me), each chapter is linked, late 50s, money (that's what i want), three songs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-28
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2021-01-05 22:10:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21215867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/aph_aleks
Summary: i) don't you (forget about me) - simple mindsii) money (that's what i want) - the beatlesiii) (just like) starting over - john lennonor,i) john makes a promiseii) john fucks upiii) john's redemption





	1. i

**words: 216**

**i) don't you (forget about me)**

**"will you stand above me?**  
**look my way, never love me**  
** rain keeps falling, rain keeps falling**  
** down, down, down."**

* * *

“john… don’t forget about me,” paul whispered against john’s lips, arms around his neck. they were pressed close together, kissing slowly and gently in the rain. it wasn’t raining too hard, especially for winter, so paul knew he wouldn’t want to go inside anytime soon. he was perfectly happy out in the rain with john.

john laughed, tightening his arms around paul’s waist, pulling him impossibly closer, “i promise, princess. why would i? i’d never leave or forget you,” he kissed paul again, and they fell back into the rhythm.

standing outside of paul’s front door at eleven at night probably wasn’t the best idea, the two realised, when a red-faced mike mccartney opened the door to see them, to see his own brother in the arms of _ bad boy lennon. _

paul was pulled inside into the warmth of his house after giving john one more goodbye kiss, and mike looked at him with a concerned expression, his hand on paul’s arm. “he’ll break your heart, y’know that, right? he’s no good.”

“you’ve got him all wrong, mike; he’s… perfect.”

mike nodded slowly, looking away from paul, “you’ll find out when he’s got you sobbing, james. you’ll find out."

paul laughed, not believing him one bit, _ he loved john, _“i doubt it, but let’s see, huh?”


	2. ii

**words: 298**

**ii) money (that's what i want)**

**"your lovin' gives me a thrill**  
**but your lovin' don't pay my bills**  
**now give me money**  
**that's what I want"**

* * *

john stopped hanging around him as much as he did before; he always had a poor excuse,  _ “oh, mimi doesn’t want me to go out today, needs help with something, sorry” _ , and one of the best,  _ “i’m going to julia’s grave.” _

it was as if john forgot that paul visited his own mother’s grave every day and not once did he see john, proof of his lies. he was enraged that he had used  _ his own mother _ as an excuse not to see paul.

paul had seen him with stuart and pete, the group of teds that would relentlessly hurt paul, make fun of him,  _ beat  _ him, but did john care? apparently not. he was supposed to love him.

paul was crying one night in his bedroom, sobs loud enough for mike to hear through the wall, and so mike had come into his room.

“i don’t want to say i told you so, but…” mike trailed off, looking sadly at the mess that his brother had become, “i told you so.”

paul waited every day for john to show up to his door with apologies or for him to call him. he sat at his window with the phone for hours, wishing for the shrill ring of an incoming call, but one never came, and he was left sitting alone, hopelessly waiting for his love to come back.

john’s new friends were thieves, and smoked, and did drugs, and drunk, none of which paul condoned; he’d accepted at that point that he no longer belonged to john and john no longer belonged to him. 

john had broken his promise.

“selfish,” mike muttered under his breath, watching as john laughed with stuart, a cigarette between his lips, a leather jacket over his shoulders, “no good, fucking selfish lennon.”


	3. iii

**words: 218**

**iii) (just like) starting over**

**"but when I see you, darlin'**  
**it's like we both are fallin' in love again**  
**it'll be just like startin' over, startin' over"**

* * *

“i’m so sorry, paul,” john grabbed onto paul’s arm while the younger was walking home, tone sincere, “i know i promised you that i wouldn’t leave you or forget about you, i _ know, _and i’m so sorry.”

paul shook his head, fighting back tears and he pulled his arm out of john’s grip, refusing to look at him, “fuck off, john.” he didn’t stop walking.

john made a noise behind him and caught up to him again, walking beside him, no longer wearing the leathers he wore with his friends. when he came back into view, paul gasped and instantly brought his hand up to john’s face, fingers running over the new bruises that had formed, “what happened?”

“doesn’t matter, paul, you need to know that i’m sorry,” john lifted his own hand and clasped paul’s, lacing their fingers together, “i fucking love you, and i was- i was scared. of being queer, what people would say. i don’t care anymore! i _ love _you!”

“you promised. you know how important that is to me.” paul looked down and smiled ever so slightly, his cheeks a light pink, though he tried not to. holding john’s hand again felt good, and he missed it a lot.

“how can i make it up to you?”

“hmm... walk me home.”

john did.


End file.
